bodily into the pool. They were all boys to the veteran. Many of them
had been trained by him, and his attitude toward them was that of a
school teacher toward his pupils.

"You have ears that hear everything, sergeant," said Dick. "What is this
new movement that I've heard two or three men speak of? Something sudden
they say."

"I've heard too," replied Sergeant Whitley, "but I can't guess it.
Whatever it is, though, it's coming soon. There's a lot of work going on
at a point farther down the line, but it's kept a secret from the rest
of us here."

The sergeant went away presently, and Dick, going down stream, joined
some other young officers in a pool. He lay on the bank afterward, but,
shortly after dark, Colonel Winchester returned, gave an order, and the
whole regiment marched away in the dusk. Dick felt sure that the event
Sergeant Whitley had predicted was about to happen, but the colonel gave
no hint of its nature, and he continued to wonder, as they advanced
steadily in the dusk.




CHAPTER II

THE WOMAN AT THE HOUSE

The men marched on for a long time, and, after a while, they heard the
hum of many voices and the restless movements that betokened the presence